Stamford, Connecticut · Nov 11, 2026

Soil temperature today in Stamford

56°Faverage today, 0–4 in deep
low 51°F · high 60°F

Modelled by NOAA GFS · run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern) · grid cell 18.7 km from Stamford

On a week ago
6° cooler
62°F on Nov 4
Next 7 days
43–55°F
range of the daily averages forecast
Crabgrass pre-emergent
Season over
next window: when the soil holds 50°F
Held 55°F last spring
May 5
crabgrass germination temperature

What the soil says today

  • Pre-emergentSeason over
  • Cool-season seedToo late in the season
  • Warm-season seedToo cold
  • TomatoesToo cold
  • Peas and lettuceWarm enough

From the 5-day mean of the modelled 0–4 in layer.

Soil temperature, 0–4 in: last 7 days and next 7

°F. Dots and line: daily average (dashed = forecast); bars: the day's low to high; green band: the 50–55°F pre-emergent window.

30°40°50°60°70°80°50–55°F windowNov 456789101112131415161762°45°
30°40°50°60°70°80°50–55°F windowNov 4Nov 6Nov 8Nov 10Nov 12Nov 14Nov 1662°45°
  • Daily average
  • Low to high
  • 50–55°F window
View as table
DayAverageLowHigh
Nov 462.3°F56.6°F67.8°Fanalysis
Nov 562.6°F58.9°F66.1°Fanalysis
Nov 664.1°F63.4°F64.5°Fanalysis
Nov 759.0°F55.7°F61.5°Fanalysis
Nov 855.9°F52.6°F59.7°Fanalysis
Nov 954.3°F52.2°F56.4°Fanalysis
Nov 1053.8°F49.0°F57.9°Fanalysis
Today55.9°F51.3°F60.0°Fforecast
Nov 1255.2°F53.5°F57.5°Fforecast
Nov 1346.2°F43.2°F50.8°Fforecast
Nov 1443.3°F41.3°F45.6°Fforecast
Nov 1543.8°F39.5°F48.5°Fforecast
Nov 1645.3°F40.4°F50.5°Fforecast
Nov 1745.2°F40.0°F49.8°Fforecast
Source: NOAA NCEP GFS 0.25°, 0–10 cm soil temperature, grid cell at 41.00°N 73.75°W. Run Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern).

What the soil says for each job

Today's verdicts use the 5-day mean of the modelled 0–4 in layer.

JobSoil ruleToday
Crabgrass pre-emergentApply while the soil holds 50 to 55°F, before crabgrass germinates at about 55°FSeason over
The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Apr 13 and 55°F from May 5.
Seed or overseed cool-season grassFescue, bluegrass and ryegrass germinate best in soil of 50 to 65°FToo late in the season
Past the usual Aug 15 to Oct 15 seeding window (56°F soil today).
Seed warm-season grassBermuda, zoysia and centipede need soil of 65°F or moreToo cold
56°F: under 65°F.
Plant out tomatoesTomato roots want soil of 60°F or more (check your frost date as well)Too cold
56°F: under 60°F.
Sow peas, lettuce and spinachCool-weather crops germinate once soil reaches about 40°FWarm enough
56°F: at or over 40°F.

The 2026 season so far

°F, daily average of the 0–4 in layer since 1 January (dashed = forecast). Dots: the days the soil began to hold 50°F and 55°F.

10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHeld 50°F from Apr 1350° Apr 13Held 55°F from May 555° May 5
10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°JMMJSNHeld 50°F from Apr 1350° Apr 13Held 55°F from May 555° May 5
  • Daily average
  • 50–55°F window
Source: NOAA NCEP GFS analyses, 4 a day. Dates use the 5-day mean, held for 10 days or more.

When the soil crossed each threshold

2026, from the 5-day mean held for 10 days or more.

SoilWhat it meansHeld from (spring 2026)Fell below (autumn 2026)
40°FPeas and lettuce can be sownMar 9not yet
50°FPre-emergent window opensApr 13not yet
55°FCrabgrass can germinateMay 5not yet
60°FWarm enough for tomatoesMay 27Oct 19
65°FWarm-season grass seedJun 4Oct 6

Growing degree days in Stamford

Base 50°F, from 1 January to Nov 8, at the Centerport station (23.5 km).

GDD in 2026
3,411
to Nov 8
Same date in 2025
3,360
51 more this year
All of 2025
3,375
full-year total

A growing degree day is each degree that the day's average temperature runs above 50°F. Insects, weeds and crops develop by accumulated GDD, so the number says how far the season has run. Every city.

Soil temperature nearby

Each from a different model grid cell.

CityDistanceSoil todayvs a week agoGrass seed
Bridgeport, CT32 km52°F−7°FToo late in the season
Yonkers, NY33 km56°F−7°FToo late in the season
Danbury, CT39 km49°F−7°FToo late in the season
Brentwood, NY39 km58°F−4°FToo late in the season
New City, NY39 km50°F−7°FToo late in the season
Hempstead, NY39 km58°F−5°FToo late in the season

This page also covers North Stamford (9.4 km), Norwalk (13.1 km), East Norwalk (13.1 km), Port Chester (12.1 km), Darien (6.5 km), New Canaan (11 km), Wilton (17.9 km), Rye (14.6 km): they share the same model grid cell area, within 25 km.

Questions

What is the soil temperature in Stamford today?
About 56°F on average in the top 4 inches (0–10 cm), with a low of 51°F and a high of 60°F, from NOAA's GFS model run of Nov 11, 12:00 UTC (7 am Eastern).
Is it time to put down crabgrass preventer in Stamford?
The spring window is closed. It opens again when the soil holds 50°F. Last spring the soil held 50°F from Apr 13 and 55°F from May 5.
When did the soil in Stamford reach 55°F this year?
The 5-day average held 55°F from May 5, 2026.
How accurate is a modelled soil temperature?
Against NOAA's 108 reference stations the model's daily average was off by 4.2°F on average, and within 5°F on 68% of days. A shaded, mulched or watered yard can differ more.

Data: Global Forecast System (GFS) 0.25°, soil temperature 0–10 cm (TSOIL) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)); U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) hourly data, version 2 (soil temperature at 5 cm and 10 cm, air temperature) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)); Global Historical Climatology Network - Daily (GHCN-Daily), daily maximum and minimum temperature (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)); GeoNames gazetteer (cities15000) (GeoNames).